Rhapsody has brought a new interim CEO into its executive ranks. David Hose will head the company for the time being while the board conducts a search for a permanent CEO. Hose has acted an as adviser, investor, and founder for several music- and mobile-centric companies. He most recently founded Soundwall, a startup that combines music and art to create “wireless connected canvases.” Continue Reading
Deezer, the Paris-based on-demand music service which operates in 180 national markets, has acquired Stitcher, the market-leading podcast app. The breakthrough deal puts a whole new category of content into the Deezer library. RAIN spoke to Tyler Goldman, Deezer’s CEO of North America. Continue Reading
AudioHQ has entered into a digital distribution and sales partnership with TeshMedia Group. Under this arrangement, AudioHQ will develop streaming programs based on existing radio programs, and create marketing opportunities for the new lifestyle content. Podcasts and 24/7 streams are in the works, CEO Matt Cutair told RAIN. Continue Reading
Could wireless carriers take over the broadcast of radio content, removing a vital source of free, over-the-air content and information delivery? Guest Columnist Roger Lanctot of Strategy Analytics examines the question in the context of a Teracom report which denies it could ever happen. Lanctot didn’t think it could either … until he heard the report. Continue Reading
The inverse relationship of streaming music and music sales is well known: Streaming up, sales down. A similar symbiotic relationship exists between music concerts and music sales. But how do streaming and concerts interact? Is the relationship mutually beneficial? That’s what Spotify’s Director of Economics Will Page set out to discover in a new study. Continue Reading
Microsoft announced that it will shutter its free plan for Xbox Music Pass effective Dec. 1. The free on-demand streaming plan was ad-supported, and it was later capped at 10 hours of listening. Now the only plan choice is a monthly $10 subscription, although new subscribers can try it free for 30 days. Continue Reading
Beatport purchased a social listening app called Listn for an undisclosed price, then promptly decided to shut down the service. The app allowed its members to explore their friends’ music libraries, with connections to several popular streaming services: YouTube, Spotify, Rdio, and SoundCloud. Listn will no longer be available starting Oct. 30, but the app’s employees will be joining Beatport. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio is now live in the Apple CarPlay system for connected vehicles. It will also be available for consumer use in certain car models and aftermarket headunits. The app allows users to access their favorite live radio, custom stations, and talk shows from their dashboards. Continue Reading
Patrick Reynolds, Chief Strategy Officer of Triton Digital and a featured speaker at the upcoming RAIN Summit Europe in London on November 4, says that streaming could be the meat of the FM sandwich. That tasty analogy came up in a phone conversation with RAIN recently, in which Reynolds previewed the panel discussion he will moderate in London: “Measuring and Monetizing FM’s Online Audience.” Continue Reading
Streaming music sites aren’t just for the realm of professional musicians. NASA has started using SoundCloud to upload recordings made in space, giving us earth-bound civilians exposure to exactly what goes on over our heads. Continue Reading
Anyone interested in buying, selling, or supplying technology for digital audio advertising should know about the upcoming standard specification for audio ads — DAAST (Digital Audio Ad Serving Template). Next Thursday, October 30, the IAB will host a webinar to introduce the proposed standard in a different format. Registration is free and open to everyone. Continue Reading
Programmatic ad buying is established in web display, but still a fairly new alternative for online radio and streaming audio. “It is a very important that we offer it as part of the mix,” Alexis van der Wyer, CEO of ad-tech company AdsWizz told RAIN. “I strongly believe that although it’s small in volume today, it will continue to grow. It will be an important component.” We spoke with the AdsWizz CEO before he takes the stage at RAIN Summit Europe. Continue Reading